Series: Assembly Elections 2021

Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency sits at the heart of the city. The constituency was formed after a merger during the delimitation exercise in 2008 and has seen two state assembly elections, 2011 and 2016, since. Long regarded as a stronghold of the DMK, the constituency lost its sitting MLA, who served it twice, to the COVID-19 pandemic. The constituency includes areas like Chepauk, Triplicane, Chintadripet and Pudupet. This time around, Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni has become the cynosure of all eyes due to the high profile candidature of Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of DMK leader Stalin and the secretary of the party’s youth wing. He is…

Sathyanarayanan B won the hot seat of T Nagar in the 2016 legislative elections. Contesting the seat for a second time, the AIADMK candidate was in the final phase of the campaign trail, explaining the accomplishments and welfare schemes of the ruling AIADMK government and outlining his plans for the constituency, when we met him for an exclusive interview.  Here are the excerpts: How would you rate your five-year performance as an MLA? I am completely satisfied with my tenure as I have fulfilled my promises. Developing Pondy Bazaar under the smart city mission has been a noteworthy accomplishment during…

Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) stands out as the only party in the state to have offered a 50% quota for women in the upcoming state assembly elections. Contesting on a NTK ticket from the constituency of Egmore, P Geetha Lakshmi is campaigning vigorously in the constituency, to understand the predominant concerns of the electorate and their demands. A physiotherapist by profession and state-in-charge, medical wing of the party, P Geetha Lakshmi is contesting for the first time.  We caught up with her to learn more about her, the ideologies of Naam Tamilar Katchi and her plans for the constituency.  What…

Sitting AIADMK MLA Dr R Nataraj is all set to contest again from the Mylapore constituency. A retired Indian Police Service officer, Nataraj had served as chairman of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) and is best known for bringing transparency in the conduct of government examinations. He joined AIADMK in 2014 and first won the Mylapore assembly seat in 2016. How has his experience as a bureaucrat helped him? What plans does he have for the constituency? We catch up with the 70-year-old legislator. Excerpts from the interview: What is your vision for Mylapore constituency? My vision is…

R Murthy, popularly known as Idream R Murthy is contesting his first election from Royapuram constituency. The proprietor of Idream cinemas in Royapuram, Murthy has been associated with the DMK for many decades now.  Projecting himself as a change-maker, Murthy has charted plans for Royapuram, the constituency that has historically been an AIADMK stronghold, voting D Jayakumar to power five times. A successful businessman, Murthy is optimistic of winning the seat, as he says, “People in Royapuram deserve the best. They want to see the change.”  R Murthy has been campaigning for more than 10 hours a day, reaching out…

Kolathur definitely makes headlines whenever in the news, and the reason behind this is not entirely unknown. A high profile constituency represented by the DMK’s current chief ministerial candidate M K Stalin, Kolathur always draws special attention and finds mention in news discussions. Located in the north-western part of Chennai, Kolathur is equidistant from both Koyambedu bus station and Chennai Central railway station, and is well-connected by road with all major localities of the city. Close by are the highly developed residential, commercial and industrial centres — Anna Nagar, Purasawalkam and ICF respectively. Since its inclusion within city limits, Kolathur…

Saidapet constituency has many areas that promise low cost of living, despite being located at the centre of the city. It is a small constituency consisting of lesser known localities, but bordered by prominent neighbourhoods on all sides. It is connected to all corners of Chennai by multiple modes of transport. The nearest railway station is Saidapet, and falls on Tambaram - Beach line. Noteworthy landmarks of the city such as the Central railway station, CMBT, Marina beach are all within a radius of 10 kms. Shopping hub T Nagar, industrial hub Guindy and one of the state’s premier educational…

Elections are due in under a week in the state. Chennai, being the seat of power, becomes the locus of political campaigning by various parties and the release of manifestos. This year is no different, with election season eliciting promises from all quarters, ranging from the realistic to the seemingly improbable. While candidates in the city have come up with their own promises and shared their vision for their respective constituencies, the broad party manifestos too have laid out a roadmap for Chennai for the coming years. The Global Shapers Chennai hub, a non-profit volunteer-driven organization has released a web…

Translated by Sandhya Raju இன்னும் சில நாட்களில் நம் தமிழக சட்டமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களை நாம் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவுள்ளோம். அண்டை மாநிலம் கர்நாடகாவில் உள்ளது போல் இரு சட்டமன்றம்- அதாவது ஒரு சட்டமன்றம் மற்றும் ஒரு சபை என்றில்லாமல், தமிழகம் கீழ் சபையை மட்டுமே கொண்டுள்ள ஒற்றை சட்டமன்றம் ஆகும். தமிழக சட்டசபையில் மொத்தம் 234 உறுப்பினர்கள் உள்ளனர், எம்.எல்.ஏ.க்கள் என அழைக்கப்படும் இவர்கள் சட்டமன்றத்தை உருவாக்குகிறார்கள். மக்களால் ஜனநாயக முறைப்படி இவர்கள் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்படுகிறார்கள். சட்டங்களை உருவாக்குதல், மாநில அரசை பொறுப்புக்கூற வைத்தல் மற்றும் பொதுச் செலவுகளுக்கு ஒப்புதல் அளித்தல் ஆகிய பொறுப்புகள் எம்.எல்.ஏ.க்களுக்கு உள்ளன. வரும் ஏப்ரல் மாதம் 6-ம் தேதி, சென்னையில் உள்ள 25 தொகுதிகளுக்கு சட்டமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்படுவார்கள். தனது தொகுதிக்கு சிறப்பான பிரதிநிதித்துவம் தரக்கூடிய சிறந்த வேட்பாளரை தேர்ந்தெடுக்கும் முன், ஒரு எம்.எல்.ஏ வின் பொறுப்புகள் என்ன என்பதை நாம் அறிந்து கொள்வது அவசியம். தன்னுடைய தொகுதிக்கும்…

DMK's promise: A one-time financial assistance of Rs 4000 for all ration card holdersAIADMK's offer: Free washing machines to all citizens of Tamil Nadu.  This at a time when the state's debt is 4.85 lakh crore, according to deputy chief minister O Pannerselvam’s budget speech. No details are available on where the money for these giveaways will come from. Welfare measures or freebies? The debate over how to distinguish welfare policies from freebies is an old one. Especially in Tamil Nadu, where the Dravidian parties pioneered many popular schemes over the decades that they have been in power. Among the…